Contract
by Olivine
Summary: [ryoma x sakuno oneshot] Both of them were too shy and stubborn to admit their feelings for each other. Will a false date, a Tomo rant, and a kiss be enough to crack their shells?


Ryuzaki Sakuno couldn't believe it.

Her long time friend and crush, Echizen Ryoma, had agreed to go out with someone else. The seventeen-year-old felt almost betrayed. The past five years had been almost like a contract… a promise. Both she and Ryoma had never spoken of their obvious love towards each other though it had been so easy to see.

At first, both had been too shy and stubborn to admit it, and well, they still were. But they both knew about it, and they both, in their head, had agreed to ask the other out when they were ready.

But they had never been ready. Or at least, gotten over their stubbornness. They weren't so shy around each other anymore; in fact, she was his best girl friend and he was her best boy friend. Not in a romantic way.

Sure, there had been times when they had _almost_ gotten to the point of admitting their love. They had kissed once, on a dare. Or just Ryoma wanted his sempais to stop pestering him. It _was_ kind of sweet. He had leaned in at the same time as her and they ended banging noses. When he asked if she was alright (while all the sempais laughed their heads off), she had nodded, blushing furiously. But before she had finished saying yes, he had leaned in and kissed her. The room had became silent but he kept his lips in place.

That was just once… half a year ago.

But really, like that was going to happen again.

Sakuno looked up at the ceiling and sighed. Oh Ryoma-kun, what are you doing? I thought you liked _me_… not her. She looked over at Ryoma sitting on his desk with his new girl standing next to him, laughing at something he had just said. Sakuno couldn't help but feel jealous.

"Sakunoo-channn!!" Tomoka had arrived. Ryoma quickly turned at the sound of Sakuno's name, apparently unaware that she had been sitting near the window the whole time. She felt sad he hadn't even noticed her presence. Was he too engrossed with his new girl? Did he forget about her that quickly? _Damn him_… She thought angrily, but then covered her mouth in shock at the incredibly mean thought. Ryoma was able to bring out the true Sakuno.

"Hey Tomo-chan," Sakuno smiled.

Tomo smiled back but then stopped when she saw Ryoma with another girl. She looked back to Sakuno and then back to Ryoma. A giant question mark formed on her face.

Sakuno shook her head. Realizing what had happened, Tomo grew red.

"RYOMA-SAMA!!!"

"Wha--" Ryoma jerked his head in Tomo's direction, obviously caught off guard.

Tomo walked to him haughtily and grabbed his arm. "Excuse _me_," she said rudely to the girl standing who looked shocked. "Echizen-san, come with me NOW."

Ryoma raised an eyebrow and said coolly, "Let go." Only Sakuno could man-handle him like that. Wait, what? In his pause, Tomo pulled him outside.

"What are you _doing_, Echizen Ryoma?" she said, pissed.

"I don--"

"Don't you dare play dumb! What are you doing with that girl?"

"By 'that girl', you mean Hano-san?" (A/N: the last name of the girl he was talking to)

Tomo stopped. When she spoke, her voice shook with anger. "Ok Echizen. I know I'm not in charge of your life and you can do whatever the hell you want with it, BUT if you think you can hurt Sakuno that badly without me butting in, you've got another thing coming. Sakuno's my best friend and I'm not letting any guy, even you, harm her."

Ryoma felt as if he had been slapped. "Ryuzaki's hurt by this?"

"Goddammit yes!" Tomo shouted. "I thought you were one of her closest friends. How could you think she would not be affected by this? I thought you loved her."

Ryoma pulled down his Fila cap and looked away, blushing but not denying.

"I knew it would affect her, but not hurt her."

"Oh, and you thought it would affect her in what way?"

He didn't say anything.

"Well?" Tomo said, positively glaring at him.

"…I thought she would be jealous."

Tomo couldn't help it. "FUCK YOU!" She stomped back into the classroom, leaving Ryoma there with a strange sense of guilt and emptiness.

When he walked back into the classroom, Tomo completely ignored him. All his normal fangirls all ignored him too. Apparently Tomo had told them about him; word about him spread fast. How long before the whole school knew? _Damn it_, Ryoma grit his teeth. He looked over to the window where Sakuno was laughing with the boy who sat in front of her. The boy laughed too. Then he hugged her.

Ryoma felt something in his chest snap. He waited for Sakuno's reaction. First she looked shocked. But then she warmed and hugged him back. Ryoma was officially heartbroken.

"Echizen! Sit down!"

Ryoma turned his head towards the front of the room slowly, a reflex he had perfected over the years. "Hai sensei."

He took his seat behind Sakuno. She didn't say anything to him. _Of course. What did I expect?_

Next to him was his new "girlfriend". She smiled at him when he sat down. "Hey, Ryoma."

Sakuno flinched. Ryoma couldn't help smirking. So she still cared about him. Interesting.

He spoke to his"girlfriend" in an extra loud whisper, "Hey Rika-chan." (A/N: full name: Rika Hano, shut up I suck at making names)

Sakuno was defiantly taking notes and ignoring him.

Ryoma continued. "Can meet me after school? I want to tell you something."

Rika giggled. "Of course."

"Hano! Stop talking to boys and write the answers to last night's homework on the board!"

"Hai sensei!" Rika said, embarrassed. She glanced nervously at Ryoma but he wasn't looking at her. She walked up to the board and wrote down her answers. Ryoma looked over at Sakuno. When Rika made a mistake, he saw Sakuno make a smirk not unlike his own. His mouth tugged into a slight smile. So she had a devious side. That's unexpected. Well like I said, Ryoma brought out the true Sakuno.

By the time all the classes were done and the day was over, Sakuno was pissed. Tomo hadn't told her about her talk with Ryoma and she desperately wanted to know what was said between them. She was sure she was the subject of their conversation.

Another thing: Ryoma seemed to take her cold shoulder treatment well. Too well. Did he seriously not like her anymore? Even as a friend? To think I actually liked him, she thought as she blindly stuffed her things in her bag.

Ryoma saw Sakuno putting her things away and he purposely held back longer.

Sakuno didn't look up; not until she heard, "Echizen, lock the door when you leave."

"Hai sensei," Ryoma answered.

Their teacher left. Sakuno and Ryoma were alone in the empty classroom.

Determined not to look at him, Sakuno briskly walked towards the door. But when she walked by him, his hand shot out and grabbed her wrist. Both of them were surprised by his action. What was he doing?

"What?" She asked in her coldest voice possible.

"Why are you ignoring me?" Ryoma asked her, his cat-like eyes boring into her large, chocolate ones.

"Do you really need me to tell you?" She cried out, suddenly inexplicably sad.

"I don't understand you," Ryoma's hand slid down from her wrist to her fingers where his intertwined with hers. She was aware of this yet couldn't do anything about it. She didn't want to do anything about it. Oh yes she did. If someone caught her like this, she would be in so much trouble. He was taken already, damn it!

"… I want to," Ryoma whispered.

"What Ryoma-kun?" She looked up. "What did you say?"

He blushed. "I want to understand you." His other hand pulled down his white cap.

Sometimes she found his hat trick cute but not now. She didn't want him to hide his feelings like that. Especially when he had already let some emotion escape. She wanted to hear everything he had to say. "In what way?" She asked, blushing at her question. Yet she wanted to know so badly, her heart ached. Her other hand took his from his hat and brought them to her cheek. "Know me in what way?"

Ryoma blushed. She was really determined. Well, it was now or never. "Like…" He looked into her eyes. He leaned in closer. Both of them held in their breath, aware of what was coming.

She leaned in too. Their noses brushed together and their mouths were only an inch apart.

"…this," Ryoma whispered, finally kissing her. He sucked on her bottom lip gently as his hands brought her face closer to his. When she pressed her body to his, he pulled away. "Wait."

She looked at him, questioningly.

Suddenly aware of the proximity of their bodies, she blushed. She tried to pull away but he held on to her.

"Ryuzaki, I can't do this." Ryoma whispered.

"Ryoma-kun," she mumbled into his chest. "Don't you have a meeting today?"

He looked at her. "What are you talking about?"

Sakuno's eyes softened. "With Rika-chan."

Ryoma looked away. "You know, she asked me out today and I said yes."

Sakuno's heart clenched. She knew that already. "What were you going to tell her today?" She whispered hoarsely.

"She asked for help on her homework after school, and I said ok. But I didn't know she meant as a date. I was going to straighten this out with her after school today."

Sakuno looked up at him, not believing what she was hearing. Was he lying? She watched as he looked down, blushing cutely. No, he's not lying. She got his answer out but she needed confirmation. "So you don't love her?"

Ryoma smiled at this and lifted her face to his. "How could I … love her?" He swallowed and his voice grew smaller. "I only love Ryuzaki."

Sakuno opened her mouth and murmured, "Ryo--" Her words were sealed off by another kiss. He pressed her up against the wall so they were eye level. He broke off their kiss and whispered, "Who do you love?"

She hugged him. "You."

* * *

Disclaimer: I definitely do not own Prince of Tennis or any of its characters. 

Though I do love manipulating them. muahahahahaha


End file.
